Happy Birthday, Uncle Forry!

Today would have been Forrest J. Ackerman’s 95th birthday. We all miss you, O Ackermonster! For those who don’t know, Forry was the man who coined the phrase ‘Sci-Fi” and founded the seminal Monster Movie magazine, FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. He was a science fiction aficionado and had a huge collection of movie artifacts (as some are shown in the pic). I use a lot of his affectations and terms in my blog.When I write about ‘Imagi-Movies’, using it as a blanket term for any kind of fantasy, sci-fi, horror or any film that causes you to access your imagination, it’s due to Forry coining the term in the pages of FMOF. My Sirki’s Summons column takes its title from Forry’s way of letting FMOF readers that some famed actor, or director or writer connected with ‘Imagi-Movies’ had passed away. He’d write a headline that Prince Sirki (the alias used by the Grim Reaper in DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY) came and claimed them. It’s just another way I honor Forry’s memory. Look at those cool props! That’s a TINGLER he’s holding! Those are 5 of the 7 FACES OF DR. LAO on that shelf behind him, and on the shelf to the left are the model heads used for that film’s final scene with the sea serpent, where they spring out of its neck to scare off the bad guys. On the wall are several life masks of some of horror movies’ biggest names, like Price, Chaney, Jr., and (I believe, not 100% sure) Laughton & Tor Johnson. This is just one SMALL wall AFTER he auctioned off a large part of his vast collection (some of his Kong props ended up in Peter Jackson’s collection, I’d wager). Truly a legend in his own time, and in our hearts.